Hot metal desulphurisation
Hot metal desulphurisation
The hot metal produced with
blast furnaces contains relatively high amounts of sulphur, which is
detrimental for the mechanical properties of steel. Owing to the
limited desulphurisation capacity of converter processes, it is
commonplace to conduct hot metal desulphurisation in a ladle or a
torpedo car before further treatment at the meltshop. The
desulphurisation reagent is typically injected through a submedged top
lance.
Highlights
- A
mathematical model has been developed for hot metal desulphurisation. The objective was to derive a model, which accounts for the effects of main technological and
operational parameters on the desulphurisation efficiency. The model
calculates the desulphurisation rate based on the basis of
thermodynamic driving force and relevant mass transfer resistances. The
model can be employed for studying effect of the main operating and
technological parameters (e.g.
reagent composition, size distribution and injection rate) on the
efficiency of desulphurisation.
- Data-driven parametrised reaction model, in which the rate
parameters are optimised with an genetic algorithm.
- A genetic algorithm based variable selection method was developed for prediction of primary and secondary hot metal desulphurisation
- High temperature experiments have been carried out to investigate
kinetics of metal-slag reactions during and after the hot metal desulphurisation.
Selected publications
- T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, A. Sorsa, S. Ollila, and T. Fabritius, “Application of a
genetic algorithm based model selection algorithm for identification of
carbide-based hot metal desulfurization,” Applied Soft Computing, vol. 92, article 106330, 2020.
- V.-V. Visuri, T. Vuolio, T. Haas, and T. Fabritius, “A Review of Modeling Hot
Metal Desulfurization,” Steel Research International, vol. 91, no. 4, 2020. 1900454.
- T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri,
A. Sorsa, T. Paananen, and T. Fabritius, “Genetic Algorithm-Based
Variable Selection in Prediction of Hot Metal Desulfurization
Kinetics,” Steel Research International, vol. 90, no. 8, 2019. 1900090
- T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri,
T. Paananen, and T. Fabritius, “Identification of Rate, Extent and
Mechanisms of Hot Metal Resulfurization with CaO–SiO2–Na2O Slag
Systems,” Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 1791–1807, 2019
- V.-V. Visuri, P.
Sulasalmi, T. Vuolio, T. Paananen, T. Haas, H. Pfeifer, and T.
Fabritius, "Mathematical
Modelling of the Effect of Reagent Particle Size Distribution on the
Efficiency of Hot Metal Desulphurisation", Proceedings of the 4th
European Steel Technology and Application Days, Steel Institute
VDEh,
Düsseldorf, Germany, 2019.
- T.
Vuolio, V.-V.
Visuri,
S. Tuomikoski, T. Paananen, and T. Fabritius,
"Data-Driven Mathematical Modeling of the Effect of Particle Size
Distribution on the Transitory Reaction Kinetics of Hot Metal
Desulfurization," Metallurgical
and Materials Transactions B, vol. 49, no. 5, pp.
2692–2708, 2018.
Theses instructed
- T. Ranto, “The effect of metal-slag reactions on hot metal desulfurization – a
review of experimental studies (in Finnish)“, Bachelor’s thesis, University
of Oulu, in progress.
-
T. Vuolio, "Model-based identification and analysis of hot metal desulphurisation", Doctoral thesis, University of Oulu, 2021.
- L. Aho, "Laboratory-scale experimental research methods of hot metal desulfurization (in Finnish)", Bachelor’s thesis, University of Oulu, 2020.
H. Tähtilä, ”A study on the properties of initial slag in hot metal desulphurisation in laboratory scale with crucible experiments”, Master’s thesis, University of Oulu, in progress.
- P. Pekuri, "Initial Slag in Primary Desulphurisation of Hot Metal", Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2020.
- P. Lehtonen, "Experimental Investigation of Hot Metal
Desulphurisation", Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2017.
- T. Vuolio, "Improvement potential of primary hot metal
delsulphurization", Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2017.